Terracing machine



Feb. 20, 1951 R. BURCHETT TERRACING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 8, 1949 mlm m .7

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Feb. 20, 1951 R. BuRcHr-:TT

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1949- INVENTOR. BuecHE 7' 1',

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Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNirEo STATES y PATENT OFFICE TERRACING MACHINE Roy Burchett, Seiling, Okla. Applieatimmrch s, 1949, seri-a1' No. 80,180

(c1. .av-92) 1 Claim. l

Y This-invention relates to an earthy excavator, a-nd more particularly to an excavator for formingfarm terraces and drain ditches.

It is an object of this invention to provide a terracing and ditching machine for attachment to the power take-01T of a tractor for quickly and accurately excavating terraces and ditches on a farm or the like. The excavator comprises a rotatably-mounted disc having a power-driven impeller mounted concentrically thereto and eri-'- gaging in the cavity of the disc for moving theY s'oil from the disc to one side for forming a terrace.

Another object' of this invention is' to provide porting wheel for supporting the disc at a se-` lected depth relative to the general surface of the area to be worked.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specication, and then more particularly pointed out in thev appended claim.

- In the drawings:

-1 Figure 1' is a side elevation' of the terracing maE chine constructed according to an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the disc and' impeller, taken substantially on the line 2-v-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a topplan-view; Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail section, taken" on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, showing the change- Referringf to the drawings, the numeral I des"- ignates" generally a supporting frame on which the plow blade i-mpeller-oftheterracing machine, constructed according to an embodiment of my ihvention;`are mounted. The supporting frame I0 is substantially V-shaped in' planview, havingY the front end thereof pivotally mounted to thev rear endmof a tractor, or separate carriage.

The frame I3 is formed of a pairv of side frame members II and I2 which are disposed in rearwardly-converging'relation to eachother'.v A. pair oi" transverse frame v1'n`e"mbers"'|4'and I5' are xedly mounted between the forward ends of the side frame members I I and I2 and the side frame members extend forwardly beyond the side edges 'of the transverse frame members I4 and I5. The

extreme forward ends ,of the side frame members II and I2 are provided with bearing bloclgs or members I6 and I'Iv xedly secured thereto for pivotal attachment to a pair of rearwardly-ex;- tending ears or bearing members I8v and I9, re# spectively. The bearing members or ears 'I8 and'. I9 are xedly mounted on the axle of the rear Wheels of the tractor and the pivot pins20 andv 2l, which connecttthev side framemembers' I I and" I2 to the bearings I8 and I9, provide for the vertiecal swinging. attachment of the frame I0 to the tractor, Y

A transversel bar 22 is Xed betweenV the rear ends of the framemembers II and I2 for secur-.I ingA the frame'members together. The frame memberv 22 is disposed at the convergent ends'l of the side frame members I I and l2 and a vertically-extending yrear post 24 depends from the* frame member 22.

A bearing or sleeve 25 is i'lxedly mountedA on thel rear end of the post 24 for supporting the.A axle of the rear wheel 2B; The upwardly-extend-` ing shank or bar 27 of the. rear yoke 28 is slid?- ably supported within the sleeve or bearing 25 and a pin 29 xe'd on the shank 2l extendsy out# wardly through an elongated, upwardlyextend' ing-opening or slot 30 in the sleeve 25.-

A segment 3| is fxedly mounted on the' rearend ofthe sleeve 25, the segment being formed with a plurality" of notches 32v along the arcuatel edge thereof.` A lever 3'4is pivotally mounted.

i on a pin' 35 'fixed on the segmentv 3|, the pin 35:

engaging the leverl 34 intermediate the length thereof'. Theforwardly-extending arm 36` of the lever 34 is formed with an elongated slot 3l therein within which the pin- 29 is adapted to be engaged; A locking member 3s is'slidably car--A ried' bythe other arm 39 of the lever 34 for en# gagement'in a selected one of the notches 32 forv to the opposite side frame members II and l21 The `doxmiwardly-converging side supporting arms 40 and 4I are xed together at their bottom ends, and an upwardly and forwardly-extending sleeve or bearing 42 is xedly mounted at the ex treme lower ends of the side bars 4I) and 4I. A cond. pair of supporting arms 43 and 44 are fixed With thev wheelat their upper ends to the side frame members Il and i2 forwardly of the connection of the supporting members 40 and 4|. The lower ends of the supporting,V arms 43 and 44 are xedly connected to the lower ends of the bars 46 and 4l immediately adjacent the bearing 42.

An axle 45 is iixedly mounted in the bearing 42 for supporting the harrow disc 46 and impeller 4l. The rear, enlarged end of the axle 45 is fixed in the bearing 42 by welding indicated by the numeral 48, or other suitable fastening means. The rear end of the axle 45 is disposed in an upwardly and forwardly-extending position relative shoulder 49 is formed between the rear end portion 50 of the axle 45 and the intermediate portion 5|.

The forwardly-concave harrow disc 46 is rotatably mounted on the' intermediate portion 5i of the axle 45. The disc 46 is formed with a forwardly-concave .disc body 52 having a hub portion 54 fixed on the rear side thereof. A pair of bearingsI 55 are carried by the hub portion 54 and engage on the intermediate section 5I of the axle. The axle extends through a central opening 56 in the center portion of the disc body 52 so that the disc 46 is freely rotatable on the axle 45. The rear end of the hub 54 is closed by a cover 5'! which is xedly mounted on the extreme forward end of the enlarged section 56 of the axle.

' The impeller 41 is rotatably mounted on the extreme forward end 58 of the axle 45. The forward portion 58 is of a reduced diameter relative to the intermediate section 5i and a shoulder 59 is formed between the adjacent ends of the inter-l mediate section 5l and the front section 58. `The impeller 41 includes a hub 6D. The hub 66 is formed with a rearwardly-opening bore 6| therein and a pair of longitudinally-spaced-apart bearings 62 are carried by the hub 60 for rotatable engagement with the'` forward section 58 of the axle 45. A plurality of radially-extending blades 64 are fixed to or formed on the rear end of thev hub 60. The blades 64 are arcuate along their rear edges to provide a substantially convex surface for engagement within the concave front portion of the disc 46. The arc of the rear edges of the blades 64 is substantially the same as the arc of the concavity of the disc 46, and the blades 64 are spaced forwardly from the forward surface of the disc 46 only a slight distance, so that the blades 64 will move the earth from the disc. The extreme outer ends of the blades 64 arev terminated within the disc 46 to leave the extreme marginal edges of the discv for cutting engagement in the earth.

A stub shaft 65 is fixed on the forward end of the hub 66 extending coaxially therewith. The rear end of the shaft 65 is fixed to the forward wall of the hub 66 and substantially closes theA 65 of the impeller 41. An intermediate shaft 16, having universal joints 'Il and 12 at the opposite ends thereof, is connected between the rear end of the shaft 69 and the forward end of the stub shaft 65.

In the use and operation of the terracing machine constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, the frame i6 is initially connected to the bearing members I8 and I9 of a tractor. The rear wheel 26 of the frame l0 is adjusted to the desired position for supporting the plow disc 46 at a selected depth relative to the surface of the earth to be worked. With the frame l0 i mounted on the tractor, the plow disc 46 will be disposed at a forwardly, upwardly and outwardlyextending direction relative to the longitudinal axis of the frame I6 and to the line of travel of i the tractor and the frame.

The disc 46 is freely rotatable on the axle 45 so that the forward movement of the frame i0, with the disc 46 inengagement with the work, will set the rotation of the disc. The impeller 41, being operatively connected to the power take-off of the tractor by wayof the changespeed transmission 66, will be rotated at a selected speed for moving the earthv out of the concavity of the disc 46 to one side thereof in a manner for forming terraces and the like. With the use of a plow disc, having an impeller mounted therein in the manner set forth above, the disposition ofV the plowed-up earth adjacent the .trench formed by the disc may be controlled in a manner not provided for by Vagricultural implements of this type currently in use.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction hereindisclosed, but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claim.

I claim: v

A farm terracing machine comprising a substantially V-shaped frame having rearwardly converging side frame members for pivotal attachment to the `rear end of a tractor having a power take-olf, a vertically-adjustable wheel on the rear end of said frame, a change-speed transmission on the forward end of said frame and adapted for attachment to the power take-off of the tractor, a forwardly-extending axle fixed on said frame at the rear end at an oblique angle to the line of travel of the machine, a concave plow disc rotatably mounted on said axle and adapted to be rotated by engagement with the ground, an impeller rotatable on said axle having convex impeller blades positioned within the concavity of said disc, and a'drive shaft operably connected between said impeller and said transmission for rotating said impeller from the power take-off. Y

. ROY BURCHET'I.

REFERENCEs CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

